The Organization Has Extended the Contest Deadline and Increased the Prize for Winning Videos

Each year, from September through March, dolphins and small whales are driven into a small cove in Taiji, and either slaughtered or taken captive Photo: Sea ShepherdSea Shepherd Conservation Society USA is asking supporters to create a short video for its “From the Cove to Captivity” video contest and, as an incentive, Sea Shepherd USA has increased the prize money that will be awarded to the creators of the two winning videos from $350 to $500 USD. In addition, the winning video creators will also receive a Sea Shepherd prize package including Cove Guardian T-shirts signed by the 2013-2014 Cove Guardians and at least one discontinued item from the organization’s vintage “vault.” Each runner up will be awarded a Sea Shepherd merchandise prize package, also to include an exclusive item from its “vault.” The contest is open to amateur videographers and film students. Contest entrants may use existing footage and photos from the Sea Shepherd USA website and social media channels in their videos.

Each year, from September through March, dolphins and small whales are driven into a small cove in Taiji, and either slaughtered or taken captive. In 2003, Sea Shepherd was the first to expose Taiji’s brutal hunt in undercover videos and photos released to the media, and in 2009, the Academy Award-winning documentary The Cove revealed this annual massacre to a horrified worldwide audience. The group has maintained an active presence in Taiji since 2010, exposing the brutal activities of the Taiji “fishermen.”. Now, Sea Shepherd would like activists to contribute to illuminating the dark secret hidden by Taiji and the captive industry with their own videos.

The Taiji Fishermen’s Union drives entire families, or pods, of cetaceans to the infamous killing cove of Taiji, where the panicked animals cling together awaiting their fate. Dolphin trainers and killers work side-by-side to select the dolphins and whales deemed suitable for captivity — the “prettiest” ones without visible scars. The captive prisoners, already traumatized, must witness their family members killed before their eyes. The Cove Guardians have documented that the slaughter occurs simultaneously to the captive selection, proving the inextricable link between the slaughter of marine mammals and the captive trade.

Create a short video — in either English or Japanese — that shows what happens to dolphins and small whales in Taiji, Japan. Your video should expose the stark truth about the brutal Taiji dolphin slaughter and the related international trade in captive dolphins. Your task is to do this without the use of profanity, racism, or direct attacks on any individuals or specific corporations. Be creative, be original, do not infringe on any third-party rights, and keep your video to three (3) minutes or less.

A panel of filmmakers will judge the contest entries. Two winners and two runners up will be selected: one winner and one runner up in English and one winner and one runner up in Japanese. The winning videos will be featured on the official Sea Shepherd Conservation Society website and social media channels.

“We think this contest is a great way to engage our supporters around the world,” said Senior Cove Guardian leader, Melissa Sehgal. “Not everyone is able to come to Taiji but people still want to defend these imperiled dolphins. This is one way everyone can get involved,” she added.

The contest deadline has been extended to January 24th, 2014! Entries are eligible to be submitted from any country in the world, but must be produced in either the English or Japanese language. Only one entry per person, please, and make sure to accompany your entry with a completed Video Contest Entry Form. Read here for complete contest rules and regulations and be sure to check out our videos from veteran Cove Guardians Melissa and Izumi below. We look forward to seeing your creativity in action for the dolphins.